We've been partnering with Dnyan Prakash School to support their students through the full range of what growing up actually looks like: career confusion, family conflict, and everything in between.

This particular session was part of our self-discovery series: a vision board day, built around one simple intent, giving these kids the space to dream as big as they possibly could.

We started by talking about the power of visualization, how people they know, people they follow, use it before doing something big. Then a short guided meditation, just enough to open the room up to the possibility of being happy, of winning at life, before anyone picked up a pair of scissors.

Each grade got its own sheet of images, designed specifically for them: career, family, friends, sports, animals, art, and affirmations written in Marathi. Then the room spread out: choosing pictures, writing words, some kids drawing their own. We told them not to worry about the how. That part comes later. This day was just about acknowledging the dream.

A student writing 'I am best in the world' on her vision board at Dnyan Prakash School
A student proudly holding up his finished vision board at Dnyan Prakash School
A student proudly holding up her finished vision board at Dnyan Prakash School

Honestly, we didn't expect what happened next. There's a quiet assumption that in a place like Latur, you'd have to push kids to dream big. We didn't have to push anyone. Their dreams inspired us more than we inspired them.

Hriday sitting close with students as they work on their vision boards

Later, we sat with students one-on-one during office hours. Some came with real weight, family conflict, confusion about what's next. Others just wanted to say the sessions made them feel bright and alive.

But what stays with us most is smaller than that. So many kids came up, just to tell us, personally, how much they loved having us at their school, how happy it made them to see us there. A few of them cried a little while they said it. That's not something we expected, and it's honestly the best feedback we could have asked for. It told us something we're doing is going right.

A teacher laughing with two students as they hold up their vision boards at Dnyan Prakash School
Neha kneeling beside a student, helping him work on his vision board

It's also what pushed us to do something we hadn't planned: a session for around 200 parents. The goal was simple: close the emotional gap between parents and their kids. We talked about how different their children's lives are now, compared to the lives they grew up in. Parents got emotional. We told them what we believe is true: everyone in that room wanted good for their kids. Sometimes, the way that love shows up is what ends up hurting. The point was never to blame anyone, just to help align parents and kids a little closer.

A packed room of parents at Dnyan Prakash School, listening to a facilitator during the parent session
Around 200 parents, in the room, listening.

It went better than we imagined. Parents stayed after to talk. More than one asked when we were coming back.

To the team at Dnyan Prakash, thank you for being so open, so willing, and so genuinely wonderful to work with. This is the kind of session that stays with us.